Chris Filkins has shared his skill and love of the flow arts for productions such Wet Hot American Summer, Mobb’d, America’s Got Talent, Beverly Hills 90210, The Pick of Destiny, The Oprah Winfrey Network, Comedy Central, MTV, as well as numerous commercials, music videos, talk shows, and private and corporate events throughout Southern California.

Chris began Southern California’s love with the simple wheel when in 2007 he brought the first from the Canadian Cirque to the beaches of Los Angeles. While sharing his love of the wheel with all comers Chris started a weekly spin jam he calls the Venice Spinning Circle while simultaneously introducing the wheel to Hollywood by his crazy spinning antics. Through this many of Southern California’s best wheel artists came to know the wheel and learn with Chris’ gentle and effective coaching. Over the last four years hundreds of people have been initiated into the mono wheel through Chris’ passion. Through his work with the wheel Chris began manufacturing mono wheels and selling them to the public. Whether your goal is to spin professionally on the stage or get down and dirty spinning street style for your own fun Chris builds the wheels you need at a fair and decent price. You can see many of his designs here. Currently Chris only teaches privates on the roue cyr in the Los Angeles area. If you are interested in learning yourself get in touch.

Chris is also a leading innovator in that rare and uniquely Southern California athletic activity called the travelling rings. Inspiring a whole school of swingers Chris has brought grace and high flying power to the rings. Through his passion and creativity Chris has fomented a new type of swing based on multiperson aerial choreography called ‘Clockwork’. Hundreds of people around the world know Chris as the go to guy for all things rings. Pictures of him in the air regularly appear in newspapers, magazines, and tv throughout the world from China and throughout the far east to local publications such as the Los Angeles Times.

In 2009 Chris was introduced to that most unusual French kinetic sculpture called the zig by friends from Cirque du Soleil & the Lucent Dossier Experience. Designed by famed cirque impressario Toni Vighetto the rare (there are only 7 in the world) zig delivers a coup de grace of visual compulsion. No one who sees the zig move for the first time can look away. Quickly sensing that his training on the simple wheel was a preamble to training with the zig Chris trained with Toni and famed stilt walker Eros Biox to become a journeyman on the zig. Chris has performed on the zig for many corporate and private events throughout California and Nevada. He taught the zig weekly to celebs, cirque performers, and regular folks in love with the flow arts at his studio in downtown Los Angeles at the famed Big Arts Labs artist colony.

During the course of the last few years Chris has brought his passions to the world at large through his work bringing his flow arts to music festivals such as Lightning In A Bottle, Burning Man Arts Festival, Ignight Fire Conference, and the Lucidity Arts Festival. Chris and his passions have quickly become a mainstay of the festival circuit through his visions and hard work in creating Swing City and Spin City where ambient interactive entertainment involving kinetic sculptures and the public takes place.

In addition Chris trains and innovates in the type of acrobatics commonly referred to as AcroYoga. Having studied with famed impressarios such as Ernie Thrash, Lux Sternstein, and Chelsea & Jason Magness he performs as a mid, porter, and a flier and has begun creating new and unique flows with his many wonderful partners. His creations are studied and performed throughout the world.

Having been a long term principal in a major condom manufacturing, designing, consulting, wholesaling, and retailing firm Chris gives talks to students and corporations on safer sex and self empowerment with an eye towards humor and acceptance. Having raised a child by himself and through being at the beginning of the e-commerce trend through his work being a serial entrepreneur Chris has a plethora of educational and humorous stories that are instantly relatable to those who meet him or hear his talks.

Although retired from the condom industry Chris keeps his foot in the door while serving on the board of a local condom start up. He also walks stilts, does clowning, and can be found enjoying the sunsets at the beach as often as humanly possible.